This invention relates generally to electrochemical detection of micro-organisms and more specifically concerns a device for detecting micro-organisms by measuring the elapsed time between inoculation and the initial increase in potential due to H.sub.2 evolution.
An electrochemical method for detecting micro-organisms based on a linear relationship between initial cell concentration and the time molecular hydrogen (H.sub.2) is detected is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,078 which was issued on Feb. 22, 1977. The apparatus used by that method was a reference electrode and a platinum electrode connected to a strip chart recorder. An endpoint was recorded as the elapsed time between inoculation and the initial increase in potential due to H.sub.2 evolution and was read directly from the strip chart recording. The inherent drawbacks to that apparatus for routine general use were that the recorder is expensive and bulky and it required the operator to manually read and record the endpoints. It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an electrochemical device for detecting micro-organisms which is inexpensive, compact and automatic.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent hereinafter in the specification and in the drawings.